NC500

[jamesditchy]

So after seeing the posts and pics on here relating to this I've booked this for next year.

Long drive up to loch Ness first day then the 500 odd miles over 3 days. Going to drive down to Edinburgh for 2 nights relax before heading home on the Sunday. Looking forward to it already. Any suggestions for places to see and stop at greatfully accepted.

 

[buzyg]

You will love it. Great roads. Even better views and the joy of midges. (Ok I lied about the last bit) Must get back and drive the rest myself some day. Done it on a push bike, so should be a doddle.

 

[Mr Tidy]

Sounds like a great trip OP.

I've not done the NC500, but did do a leisurely trip around Scotland back in 2008 - well it would be, I was in a 123d with the OH! :roll:

I see you plan to head straight up to Loch Ness, but I'd make a detour to the Isle of Skye on the way as it is nearly empty with some great roads! Marlon has just been there so you could take a look at his photos.

Great idea having 2 nights in Edinburgh BTW - it's a fascinating place and well worth a good look around.

Also some amazing architecture, but for us this was probably the highlight!

 

[jamesditchy]

Sounds like a great trip OP.

I've not done the NC500, but did do a leisurely trip around Scotland back in 2008 - well it would be, I was in a 123d with the OH! :roll:

I see you plan to head straight up to Loch Ness, but I'd make a detour to the Isle of Skye on the way as it is nearly empty with some great roads! Marlon has just been there so you could take a look at his photos.

Great idea having 2 nights in Edinburgh BTW - it's a fascinating place and well worth a good look around.

Also some amazing architecture, but for us this was probably the highlight!

Haha great pic. Reminds me of a visit to Oxford years ago to a friend in uni there and this was a couple of streets away.

Skye may have to wait for another trip. Would also like to do the west coast and take in Skye in that trip. Maybe even sneak my golf clubs in if the OH doesn't notice

 

[patriot66]

Hello mate. Really envious of you doing this. I'm sure it'll be bloody superb. What time of year you going ? Have you booked all your accomodation? I know the area around Torridon and over Bealach na Ba Pass, Applecross and up to Ullapool very well. Used to go Munro bagging (Scottish mountains over 3000ft) with my Dad and cousin when I was a lad, so have travelled some of these roads many times. Further up by Suilven the scenery is just incredible. You will love it. Don't know much of the rest of the route but I'm sure it will be superb.
I'll have to get the full low down from you after you've done it so that Ali and I know what we're doing when we get round to it....when the ruddy kids leave home at this rate !

 

[jamesditchy]

Hello mate. Really envious of you doing this. I'm sure it'll be bloody superb. What time of year you going ? Have you booked all your accomodation? I know the area around Torridon and over Bealach na Ba Pass, Applecross and up to Ullapool very well. Used to go Munro bagging (Scottish mountains over 3000ft) with my Dad and cousin when I was a lad, so have travelled some of these roads many times. Further up by Suilven the scenery is just incredible. You will love it. Don't know much of the rest of the route but I'm sure it will be superb.
I'll have to get the full low down from you after you've done it so that Ali and I know what we're doing when we get round to it....when the ruddy kids leave home at this rate !

Yes all accommodation booked. Doing it mid May, leaving on a Tuesday morning and home Sunday night. Plenty of time to plan stops efc.

 

[Japseroony]

My advice would be to do this anti-clockwise if you can - much better roads to finish the trip off this way as from Inverness to Thurso is a bit drab compared to the rest of the trip so get it out of the way first :wink:

You need to have a look at Smoo caves at Durness and also stop for a hot chocolate there

Also, make sure you follow the costal route and dont miss any of the roads as the ones over from Applecross to Ardarroch/Lochcarron are a must - "Pass of the Cattle" or "Bealach na Ba" as its known is a fantastic road if you like heights.

In Lochinver there is a Pie shop just as you enter the town and just before the fuel station on the right that sells Pies of all kinds, from fruit to meat and several variations - highly recommended if a little expensive :wink:

 

[Joycey]

My advice would be to do this anti-clockwise if you can - much better roads to finish the trip off this way as from Inverness to Thurso is a bit drab compared to the rest of the trip so get it out of the way first :wink:

You need to have a look at Smoo caves at Durness and also stop for a hot chocolate there

Also, make sure you follow the costal route and dont miss any of the roads as the ones over from Applecross to Ardarroch/Lochcarron are a must - "Pass of the Cattle" or "Bealach na Ba" as its known is a fantastic road if you like heights.

In Lochinver there is a Pie shop just as you enter the town and just before the fuel station on the right that sells Pies of all kinds, from fruit to meat and several variations - highly recommended if a little expensive :wink:

Couldn't of put it better myself, done exactly this route last month.

 

[ph001]

Indeed! The A9 up the east coast isn't that special at all. Going anti-clockwise from Inverness, much better to take the A9 only as far north as Novar than take the B9176 (Struie Road) up to where it meets the A836. Then take the A836 to Tongue and pick up the N500 there going Anticlockwise. OK, you do miss the great road along the north cost between Thurso and Tongue but the North East of Scotland isn't a patch on the North West in my opinion and isn't really worth the time if you are on a tight timetable / budget (which you inevitably always are)!

 

[Japseroony]

Indeed! The A9 up the east coast isn't that special at all. Going anti-clockwise from Inverness, much better to take the A9 only as far north as Novar than take the B9176 (Struie Road) up to where it meets the A836. Then take the A836 to Tongue and pick up the N500 there going Anticlockwise. OK, you do miss the great road along the north cost between Thurso and Tongue but the North East of Scotland isn't a patch on the North West in my opinion and isn't really worth the time if you are on a tight timetable / budget (which you inevitably always are)!

Only thing is you aint then doing the NC500 and are missing out John o' Groats and you wont see the Off Shore rigs on a clear day etc - not that its much of a miss lol

 

[ph001]

Exactly. John O Groats got to be one of the most overated places but I understand it's a tick box for a lot of people. I'm not sure many go there repeatedly. The whole A9 east coast route is pretty unspectacular and it's a LOT of miles. Your time behind the wheel is better spent elsewhere IMHO.

 

[jamesditchy]

Sounds a good shout doing it in reverse. I do want to do the full listed route as it will probably be the only time I ever do it. I had planned the first section from our hotel at the top of loch Ness to ullapool. If I do it in reverse I might change that last stop to one a bit closer to inverness as I will be carrying on to Edinburgh on the final day.

Any thoughts on this, cheers Jay

 

[earthdweller]

In Edinburgh I stay at the Novotel be the gyle shopping centre .. it’s opposite the tram stop at Edinburgh park with a premier inn opposite .. it has a large quiet and barriered car park .. which they didn’t charge us for

Just off motorway which is a bonus too

All day tram tickets are £4 and cover all the buses too .. 20 minutes in princess st

Hotels in centre don’t tend to have parking and public ones are extremely expensive

Re the NC500 did the west side in August .. fab roads and would recommend Durness and sango sands camp site .. the hotel chocolate place up there is well worth a visit

On fb there is a group called northcoast 500 which full of useful info

Andy

 

[jamesditchy]

In Edinburgh I stay at the Novotel be the gyle shopping centre .. it’s opposite the tram stop at Edinburgh park with a premier inn opposite .. it has a large quiet and barriered car park .. which they didn’t charge us for

Just off motorway which is a bonus too

All day tram tickets are £4 and cover all the buses too .. 20 minutes in princess st

Hotels in centre don’t tend to have parking and public ones are extremely expensive

Re the NC500 did the west side in August .. fab roads and would recommend Durness and sango sands camp site .. the hotel chocolate place up there is well worth a visit

On fb there is a group called northcoast 500 which full of useful info

Andy

Thanks Andy, some good info and videos on that fb page. Got some good ideas on things to do up there. Really looking forward to it. Got a good deal on a hotel in Edinburgh town centre just got to ring some parking for the weekend.

 

[buzyg]

Exactly. John O Groats got to be one of the most overated places but I understand it's a tick box for a lot of people. I'm not sure many go there repeatedly. The whole A9 east coast route is pretty unspectacular and it's a LOT of miles. Your time behind the wheel is better spent elsewhere IMHO.

Well that's good to read. Only ever cycled up the A9 to John-O-Groats from Perth and it was on a misty night in 1980, so didn't see a thing, arrived at the sign post just after day break and spent the morning sleeping on a grassy bank, as the youth Hostel was shut until later. The road across to Durness though was an gem, on a push bike. Only fly in the ointment that day was missing the ferry at Kylesku and spending the night in the back of some blokes transit being eaten alive by midges.

 

[MrPT]

Indeed! The A9 up the east coast isn't that special at all. Going anti-clockwise from Inverness, much better to take the A9 only as far north as Novar than take the B9176 (Struie Road) up to where it meets the A836. Then take the A836 to Tongue and pick up the N500 there going Anticlockwise.

This.

Heading to Inverness via Glenshee, Braemar, Tomintoul and Grantown-on-Spey will give you a better driving “loop” than the A9 too, albeit only if you have time. Agree that there’s not much to see/do in the north east, but I guess it’s worth doing once. It’s actually pretty nice in itself how the scenery just builds and builds as you go west.

Don’t be afraid of doing some roads more than once too. It’s a trek to get up there - might as well make the most of it!

 

[Nick_in_Suffolk]

Will endorse the anti-clockwise suggestion, but the return from the end of the Applecross pass back to Inverness is as dull, if not even more dull than the run north from Inverness. No, it is even more dull than that section

Ignore J O'G, but do take in Duncansby Head and then a bit later go to Dunnet Head.

Pass through Thurso as quickly as possible. Dounreay is a million, even a gazillion times, more picturesque.

 

[craig3.2]

Have fun,Jay
Hoping to do Braemer run again next year,as we did in 2015,or Applecross,which are great runs/roads,all going well.
Alot of good roads to pick

Even better if the weather is good

 

[earthdweller]

In Edinburgh I stay at the Novotel be the gyle shopping centre .. it’s opposite the tram stop at Edinburgh park with a premier inn opposite .. it has a large quiet and barriered car park .. which they didn’t charge us for

Just off motorway which is a bonus too

All day tram tickets are £4 and cover all the buses too .. 20 minutes in princess st

Hotels in centre don’t tend to have parking and public ones are extremely expensive

Re the NC500 did the west side in August .. fab roads and would recommend Durness and sango sands camp site .. the hotel chocolate place up there is well worth a visit

On fb there is a group called northcoast 500 which full of useful info

Andy

Thanks Andy, some good info and videos on that fb page. Got some good ideas on things to do up there. Really looking forward to it. Got a good deal on a hotel in Edinburgh town centre just got to ring some parking for the weekend.

No problem .., you’ll love it .. watch out for the bloody midges though !!

They are like little tartan terrorists with a taste for English blood lol

Assume you are doing it in the Zed ?

I took the truck as loaded with tents etc

 

[earthdweller]

The scenery is stunning with amazing beaches these were taken up at Durness and Kinlochbervie up on the North West tip

It’s almost a match for Wigan